Meterorologists are warning that this year the ultraviolet (UV) index could be high this coming summer, daily temperatures are estimated to reach a peak in April, officially the hottest month in the country. The index for last summer in Yangon saw a rise to nearly 13 of the UV index when figures of between 10 and 11 can actually be harmful to human skin,
“People living in the country’s commercial cities have become trapped in the scorching heat and have been warned of skin cancer and permanent blindness,” said U Tun Lwin, a well-known retired Myanmar meteorologist, who warned people in Yangon, Mandalay and other dwellers in the six big cities against the dangerous level of UV as it is expected to reach its highest level.
Recent maximum outdoor UV index at noon over the last few days (April) reached 13.8 in Kawthoung, 12.8 in Dawei, 12.6 in Yangon, 12.4 in Mawlamyine, 12.3 in Nay Pyi Taw and 11.5 in Mandalay.
According to local media, nearly 60 percent of patients at skin- related clinics in Yangon have been given special treatment to chronic skin diseases triggered by dangerous UV rays.
